UKRAINE IS NOT SO FAR AWAY

SYNOPSIS

A young, established Ukrainian filmmaker’s family is  forced to leave their homeland to protect their three  children from shelling after Russian forces invaded  Ukraine. In this film, we follow their family’s story from 2013 when the Maidan and the Revolution of  Dignity occurred, to the moment they return home.

CONTACT

AMOUNT OF THE SUPPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT: 12 500 €

European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films – Date of the decision : July 26th, 2024

THE DIRECTORS

Dar’ya Averchenko studied journalism at Kyiv International University and Free University of Berlin and has worked for print media and TV. In 2007 she (with RomanBondarchuk) shot her first documentary, “Radunytsya,” and switched to filmmaking and scriptwriting. She is a founder of South Films, a production company for documentaries and feature films. Since 2008 Dar’ya has played a critical role in Ukraine’s documentary industry as a driving force for IDFF Docudays UA, a festival highlighting human rights films. She serves on the selection committee and is the head of the communication department. She also has worked as the chief of the Ukrainian branch office of the educational channel Da Vinci. Dar’ya’s credits include the successful dramas Volcano (2018) and Dixie Land (2016), as well as the award-winning documentaries Euromaidan. Rough Cut (2014) and Ukrainian Sheriffs (2015). For the latter Dar’ya worked in Hollywood on the campaign for the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. The latest feature film, where she was co-writer and one of producers, was ‘The Editorial Office’, which premiered at the Berlinale in 2024. She also has produced short films on social and cultural topics. Currently, Dar’ya is working on the documentary “Ukraine Is Not So Far Away,” which will be her directorial debut.

Roman Bondarchuk studied at Kyiv National I. Karpenko-Karyi Theatre, Cinema and Television University. His feature-length documentary UKRAINIAN SHERIFFS won the Special Jury Prize at IDFA in 2015 and was selected as the Ukrainian submission to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. His second documentary DIXIE LAND (2016) premiered at the Full Frame Film Festival USA and received a Golden Duke Award for Best Ukrainian Film at the Odesa International Film Festival.

Bondarchuck received the Shevchenko National Prize, Ukraine’s highest state prize for cultural works, for directing Volcano. The film won the Grand Prize at international film festivals in Armenia, Croatia, China and Morocco. The film won 11 international awards and was included in the program of more than 50 international festivals.
Roman’s latest feature film, ‘The Editorial Office’ was premiered at the Berlinale in 2024.
Roman also works as an artistic director and member of the selection committee of the International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival Docudays UA. He has been a member of the selection committee for the Ukrainian submissions to the Academy Awards since 2019. Roman is a member of the Ukrainian Union of Cinematographers, as well as the Ukrainian Film Academy. From 2020 to 2023, he worked as a member of its board. Since February 2022, he has been working on the development of the Ukraine War Archive for the preservation and systematization of evidence of the Russian invasion to Ukraine.